If you are thinking about having an abortion (termination of pregnancy), you can self refer to Forth Valley Termination of Pregnancy Service.
Contact the Service by calling 01324 673555, Monday to Friday, between 9am – 4pm. It is also possible to be referred by your GP.
- An abortion is the medical process of ending a pregnancy.
- It is also known as a termination.
- The pregnancy is ended either by taking medications or having a minor surgical procedure.
- One in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime.
When you attend the clinic a nurse or doctor will talk through your options. This includes discussing how the procedure will take place, where it will happen, and asking you some questions about your medical health to help figure out which procedure is right for you. We will also offer you the opportunity to discuss contraception and can give you most methods home with you. You may need to come to more than one appointment, depending on what you choose.
We will ask your consent before sharing any information with your GP.
Abortion Options Explained
This guide provides information about the different abortion options available in Forth Valley. Which options are available to you will depend on how far along the pregnancy is. You can discuss all options with the medical team during your appointment. If you prefer not to read this information now, that’s completely fine – the team will talk you through everything when you meet.
Below is a comparison of the four procedures offered:
What happens?
- You will be at home.
- Most people pass the pregnancy within 4-6 hours of taking the second medicine.
- After 10 weeks of pregnancy, you may need to take extra doses of the second medicine.
Waiting time
- You can usually take home the medications from the clinic with you or pick them up when suits you, if you have a telephone appointment.
- The second part of the procedure (when you will pass the pregnancy) is 2 days after the first, so that is the shortest time you would wait.
How long does it take?
- You will take the first tablet, and 2 days later, you will take the second – this is when the procedure starts.
- You will be in pain and bleeding for usually around 4-6 hours.
When can I have it?
- You can have this procedure up until 11+6 weeks (11 weeks and 6 days pregnant).
Will I see the products and pregnancy?
- You will be awake and aware of the process.
- Before 10 weeks, you will pass blood clots and jelly only.
- After 10 weeks you may see things that look like parts of a fetus.
Pain
- It will be painful when you pass the pregnancy.
- Most people say it is more painful than a period.
- Usually, the further along the pregnancy is, the more painful the procedure, though this isn’t always true.
- You will be given strong painkillers to take at home.
- After the abortion, you’ll probably have some pain or cramping, which will feel more like a period and will get a bit better every day.
Follow‑up
- You will be given a pregnancy test to do 3 weeks after your procedure.
- If the pregnancy test is negative, you will not need any further follow up.
Risks
- The medicines can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and can make you shaky.
- Occasionally the medicines don’t work, and you will stay pregnant, or some of the pregnancy might be left, and you might need more medicines or an operation. The chance of this is about 1 in 100.
- There is a small risk of bleeding so much you may need to come into hospital. The chance of this is 1 in 1000.
Advantages
- The advantage is that you can be at home in a comfortable space that you are familiar with, and have your own things, food and support around you.
- You can be in your own bed and bathroom.
Disadvantages
- Some people do not want to do this procedure at home.
- This procedure is hard to hide from people who live with you (although you could be having a miscarriage, or just a bad stomach ache).
- There is likely to be a lot of bleeding, and some people find this distressing.
- Some people are anxious about knowing when they have passed the pregnancy.
- Someone will need to be with you when you have this procedure, so you will need to tell at least one adult (who speaks enough English that they can call for help if you need it).
What happens?
- You will be in the hospital when the pregnancy passes.
- You will take 2 different medicines. The first is a tablet that you swallow, you would usually do this at home.
- 2 days later you will come into hospital to take the second part of treatment – this is tablets you or a nurse will put under your tongue or in your vagina. This is when you will pass the pregnancy.
- You will come in first thing in the morning or the evening before (you can choose which suits you better).
- You can have someone with you.
- You usually leave the same day (in the afternoon) but may occasionally need to stay overnight.
Waiting time
- We will give you an appointment in hospital as soon as we can – usually this is within a week of your first appointment, although sometimes it may need to be a bit longer.
How long does it take?
- You will be in hospital for a day, or you can come in the night before if it’s hard for you to come in first thing in the morning.
- You will usually get away by the evening, although sometimes you will stay overnight after the procedure.
When can I have it?
- You can have this procedure up until 19+6 weeks (19 weeks and 6 days pregnant).
Will I see the products and pregnancy?
- You will be awake and aware of the procedure.
- Having an abortion over 12 weeks can be painful.
- If you do not want to see the pregnancy, the nurses will protect you from it as much as they can.
Pain
- It will be painful when you pass the pregnancy.
- If you are over 15 weeks, it may be very painful.
- You can have strong painkillers if you want to, and the nurses will give you what you need.
- After the abortion, you’ll probably have some pain or cramping, this will feel more like a period and will get a bit better every day.
Follow‑up
- If the nurses are clear that you have passed the pregnancy in hospital, then you will not need any follow up, or you may be given a pregnancy test to do at home if they are not sure.
Risks
- The medicines can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and can make you shaky.
- Occasionally the medicines don’t work, and you will stay pregnant, or some of the pregnancy might be left, and you might need more medicines or an operation, which is more common if you are further along in your pregnancy.
- There is a small risk of heavy bleeding, and you might need some fluids or, rarely, a blood transfusion. The chance of this is about 1 in 1000. It is more likely if your pregnancy is more advanced (over 16 weeks).
Advantages
- The advantage is that hospital staff can look after you, provide you with the medication you need, and you are in a neutral space where you are not expected to do other things, ie. look after children, etc. This option is your only one if your pregnancy is over 12 weeks.
Disadvantages
- You will be in hospital for a day – sometimes this is hard to explain, if you are not telling many people about your procedure.
- Some people do not like being in hospital.
What happens?
- You will be awake and will have local anaesthetic.
- A tube is inserted through the cervix (the opening to the womb from the vagina) and the pregnancy is removed using suction.
- Usually you will be given some medicine to put under the tongue or in the vagina before the procedure, to help soften the cervix.
- Once the procedure is finished, you can drive home.
- You do not need to fast (not eat) beforehand.
Waiting time
- We will give you an appointment for this procedure as soon as we can.
- Depending on what appointments are available you may need to wait up to 3 weeks.
- You can find out how long you will wait before you decide what procedure you want.
How long does it take?
- The procedure itself takes about 10 minutes, but you will need to stay in the clinic for approximately 30-60 minutes.
- You will need to come in a few hours before this to take the medicine that gets your cervix ready for the procedure.
When can I have it?
- You can have this procedure up until 10 weeks pregnant.
Will I see the products and pregnancy?
- You will be awake, but you will not see the pregnancy pass, as it will go into a tube and the doctor performing the procedure, will take care of it.
Pain
- The procedure can be quite painful, like period cramps, but more painful, although it will be over fairly quickly.
- The procedure takes about 10 minutes and after that the pain will stop, other than some cramping for a few days after the procedure, like a period.
Follow‑up
- You will not usually need any follow up after this procedure.
Risks
- The medicines used to open the cervix, can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Occasionally the operation doesn’t work, and you are still pregnant afterwards and might need another operation. The chance of this is about 1 in 100.
- Serious complications are rare for this procedure. They include an infection (about 1 in 100 chance), damage to the womb or the cervix, an infection and severe bleeding (1 in 1000 chance).
Advantages
- This procedure is the quickest of the 4 options here. It will be over in about half an hour, and you will feel well fairly quickly. For this reason, it can be the easiest procedure to hide from others.
- If you are interested in having a coil, it can be done straight after the procedure.
Disadvantages
- This procedure can be sore whilst it is happening.
- This procedure can also be noisy – you can hear the noise of the suction. You can bring headphones to wear if you want.
- You may also need to wait longer for it than some of the other procedures, depending on when the next appointments are available.
What happens?
- You will be asleep, and while you are asleep you will have an operation to remove the pregnancy from the womb.
- A tube is inserted through the cervix (the opening to the womb from the vagina) and the pregnancy is removed using suction.
- You will fast (not eat) from midnight the night before the procedure. You can drink water.
- Usually you will be given some medicine to put under the tongue or in the vagina before the procedure, to help soften the cervix.
- You will usually leave the same day, but someone will need to drive you home.
- You will be sleepy for a day or so because of the anaesthetic.
Waiting time
- We will give you an appointment for this procedure as soon as we can.
- Depending on what appointments are available, you may need to wait up to 3 weeks.
- You can find out how long you will wait before you decide what procedure you want.
How long does it take?
- The procedure itself takes about 10 minutes, but you will be asleep for about an hour, and you will be in hospital for the whole day.
When can I have it?
- You can have this procedure up until 12 weeks pregnant, sometimes a little bit later.
Will I see the products and pregnancy?
- You will be asleep throughout the procedure and will wake up in a different room only when the procedure is finished.
Pain
- You will be asleep for the procedure, so you will not feel anything.
- After you wake up, you will have some pain and cramping for a few days. This is more like a period and should get a little better every day.
Follow‑up
- You will not usually need any follow up after this procedure.
Risks
- The medicines used to open the cervix can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Occasionally the operation doesn’t work, and you are still pregnant afterwards and might need another operation. The chance of this is about 1 in 100.
- Serious complications are rare for this procedure. They include an infection (about 1 in 100 chance), damage to the womb or the cervix, an infection and severe bleeding (1 in 1000 chance).
- General anaesthetics can sometimes cause other problems. These are unlikely to happen if you are generally well.
Advantages
- You will be asleep for this procedure and not aware it is happening, which is important to some people. It is the least sore because of this.
- If you are interested in having a coil, you can have it fitted at the time, while you are asleep.
Disadvantages
- You may wait the longest for this procedure, although we are working on changing this.
- You will be in hospital for a day, and you are not likely to be able to have much control over that day, which can be hard for work and family commitments.
- Someone will need to drive you home after the procedure and the timing of this can be unpredictable.
- The advice after you have had a general anaesthetic is that someone stays with you overnight (this can be at your own home or at their home).
Pregnancies Over 20 Weeks
The legal limit for abortion in the UK is 24 weeks. In Scotland, procedures are currently not carried out over 20 weeks. If your ultrasound shows that you are between 20 and 24 weeks pregnant, we will support you to access care in England. While we understand this may feel overwhelming, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) will coordinate everything for you, including travel and accommodation, as you’ll need to stay for at least two nights in the city where the procedure takes place.
The procedure could take place in one of a few different cities in England. All costs, including travel and accommodation, will be fully covered by NHS Forth Valley. They will also pay all costs for someone to come with you for support. This procedure will be an operation, for which you will be asleep for.
If you are 20-24 weeks on ultrasound scan, staff will explain how this works and will contact BPAS for you, who will call you back.
If your pregnancy is over 24 weeks, you will need to continue with the pregnancy. It is extremely rare for people to find out they are more than 24 weeks pregnant in the abortion clinic.
Considering Your Options
Think about what matters most about your abortion, whether it’s how soon the procedure can happen, whether you’ll be awake, how much pain to expect, or where it will take place. These priorities can help you in your conversation with healthcare staff, so you can choose the option that feels right for you.